Pilot Iroshizuki Ink Really.... Bad?

[Slayerx44]

Hello all,

 

Please don't bash me, I just made an account but...

 

It seems that my $5 bottle of Parker Quink outperforms the $20+ bottle of Iroshizuki charcoal black ink. Writing on a standard blank A4 paper, the Iroshizuki ink has lots of feathering compared to the Quink.

 

Ive tried using the Iroshizuki ink on a few pens, namely the Pilot Metropolitan and the Parker Vector.

 

Did I maybe get a bad batch? I've been hearing praises for this ink on how it's controlled and has no feathering etc.

 

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts on this

 

Thanks for reading!

[Lyander0012]

True, Iro inks don't work very well cheaper papers, but relatively speaking it's an amazing performer. The thing is, if you're using cheap paper the like of what you're bound to find in an everyday office supply cabinet, the more pedestrian inks will likely be better choices. Don't think that I'm an ink snob, I personally love all my Skrip inks and the one bottle of Quink I have (black), but if you invest in a good pen and a pad of great paper like Clairefontaine, G. Lalo, Rhodia, Tomoe River, etc., you'll be in a better position to appreciate Iroshizuku's performance. Premium inks need papers of a certain minimum standard to really show their stuff, I've found. Try writing on that same sheet of paper with a bottle of J.Herbin, for example.

And by the way, welcome to the FPN! Enjoy your stay here, and sorry in advance about your wallet; there are a LOT of enablers here

 

 

Cheers!

Kevin

 

 

P.S.

There's an introduction subforum near the top of the homepage called "Welcome All New Members!". I suggest you make a thread there to get to know all the crazies here

 

K.

Edited July 12, 2014 by Lyander0012

[Slayerx44]

Thanks for your quick reply!

 

Guess I'll just put that bottle of Iroshizuki on display till I get a better pen, they look pretty darn good!

I'll go pick up some if those better quality papers your mentioned, thanks again for your advice!

 

Have a great day ahead!

[The Blue Knight]

Nothing wrong with cheap inks the most I've ever spent on a bottle is £7.

[Lyander0012]

I recommend you start with better papers, though. A budget/entry-level pen can write as nicely as a $1000 one, given proper care and a bit of smoothening.

[Slayerx44]

Well, I wouldn't say the papers I'm writing on are bad. Well, my definition of good is a paper that doesn't bleed and feather when I use a Vector with quink like for example those stack of A4 papers for printing. Coming from a Pilot G2 , those seems really good.

 

I'm just frankly surprised because of the amount of ink which flows out and feathers badly when I write with the Metropolitan with a fine nib. ( or maybe because the ink's justs "wetter" ) after switching to the Quink, the lines are really thin and smooth . It's like switching from a 1.0mm to 0.5mm

 

Would love to test with a Vector but It was stolen at School and now I've to live with a bent nibbed spare Vector

 

Thanks for your reply though!

 

P.S. Are 80gsm papers "good" ?

[Ghost Plane]

90 is better. But 80 in a good brand will knock your socks off if you haven't had a nib float over the page yet.

 

For comparison, I have very large nibs that need the flow & go nuts if I have to use a "dry" ink like Quink, so it's also a factor of what you're used to.

[Lyander0012]

Papers of 80gsm are generally considered to be okay for FPs, but you have to factor in the finish. The paper in a Rhodia pad is slightly glossy on account of a thin layer of coating that prevents the ink from seeping through to the "meat" of the paper, as you will, giving the appearance of clean and crisp lines, as well as shading/sheen if your ink allows for it. I had a 200gsm Derwent notebook on which FP lines didn't really look all that nice. Great for watercolours and pencil sketches, though.

 

Also, Tomoe River paper is just a bit more than 50gsm dense, I believe, and it's one of the best papers for fountain pens. Period. This is why you can't just base your assumptions on a paper's performance on gsm alone. That's like judging a digital camera on megapixel count alone, or a pair of headphones on dB count or frequency response. You actually have to try out these things, or ask for the opinions of people you trust know what they're talking about,

 

Kevin

Edited July 12, 2014 by Lyander0012

[Slayerx44]

I see, I actually have a note book with 80gsm paper and witch a plasticy glossy/lacquered feel to it, guess I'll go try it out,

 

Thanks for all your replies!

[Sandy1]

 

Hi,

 

Unfortunately cost is not a reliable indicator of performance. Especially when one is using common copy/print paper of 80gsm/20lb, many run-of-the mill inks are fine. We have numerous Topics on what inks will perform well on such papers.

 

Also, a somewhat dry writing pen is an advantage, as is a light hand.

 

If you have a choice of paper, most inks perform very well on 24lb/90g laser copy/print papers, with the typical problem being bleed- show-through to the extent that two-side use becomes unlikely.

 

Going to a writing paper, such as Rhodia, can give your pens and inks a chance to show-off, and offer a smoother writing experience.

 

In most of my Ink Reviews, I mention if using high-end paper is 'worth it', and found that when using inks with a high dye load, a lot of the time it is a matter of the author's preference over performance.

 

Bye,

S1

[Slayerx44]

Hey

 

Thanks for your reply, in a day I've learnt more than a year. Well , I've also one more question .

 

I feel that instead of filling the converter to the brim with ink but filling about 0.2 ml, I can make the pen write finer, less likey to feather lines. Is this a viable choice? ( I know I've to fill it often )

 

Well, I really do appreciate all your help

 

Have a great day ahead!

[napalm]

Qink is notoriously dry, which is annoying (poor starts, skipping) but helps reducing bleeding with absorbent papers.

Edited July 12, 2014 by napalm

[Lyander0012]

Hey

 

Thanks for your reply, in a day I've learnt more than a year. Well , I've also one more question .

 

I feel that instead of filling the converter to the brim with ink but filling about 0.2 ml, I can make the pen write finer, less likey to feather lines. Is this a viable choice? ( I know I've to fill it often )

 

Well, I really do appreciate all your help

 

Have a great day ahead!

 

Actually, the air bubble inside the converter could expand with heat, making the pen write much wetter, haha. Ideally, you'd fill up the converter but clear the feed of ink, since that's what makes for a wet writer (given its proximity to the writing surface).

 

 

Kevin

[Slayerx44]

I've been using Quink for more than a year now and rarely encounter skipping and poor starts. Although my flag says US, I'm actually in Singapore which is hot all year round, I guess the humidity makes inks wetter ?

 

Thanks for all your help again!

[wykeite]

I had a 200gsm Derwent notebook on which FP lines didn't really look all that nice. Great for watercolours and pencil sketches, though.

Kevin

 

Guess what it was made for? Derwent actually supplies a clue. Do you seriously think that purpose made watercolour papers are going to accommodate a fountain pen?

[View from the Loft]

Guess what it was made for? Derwent actually supplies a clue. Do you seriously think that purpose made watercolour papers are going to accommodate a fountain pen?

I believe that the poster you quoted was using this to demonstrate that the weight of the paper was not the only factor in play when finding a good pen/paper/ink combination.

[Triplet Mom]

I love my Iroshizuku inks...all EXCEPT for the Charcoal Black "take-sumi" one. I also have a problem with that one feathering on every paper I've tried it on. Give one of the other Iroshizuku colors a try before dismissing the brand all together. The rest of the colors are luxuriously smooth writing and non-feathering.

 

Warm regards,

Lynne

[Slayerx44]

I happen to be using the charcoal black version...

 

Will pop by a shop and try out the other colors, thanks for your advice!

[Lyander0012]

 

Guess what it was made for? Derwent actually supplies a clue. Do you seriously think that purpose made watercolour papers are going to accommodate a fountain pen?

 

I do not wish for this to escalate any further, but I find that tone a bit offensive. Just one thing to point out: I was indeed aware of the paper's purposed use, wykeite, and do in point of fact use water colours myself on occasion. Now, I'm not very good at using a brush, but that is beside the point. My taking a fountain pen to the paper was a matter of satisfying my curiosity, since I theorized that water colour pigments would behave very much differently from fountain pen dyes. I am more than capable of using Google to find things out, thank you very much, but I wished to see for myself what the result would be.

 

Thank you, by the way, View from the Loft. Nicely said.

 

I've rarely ever been irritated on this board because, for the most part, the individuals here are kind and considerate of other people. When I was full of questions in the months just after getting into this hobby, I was fortunate enough to have come across people with a wealth of knowledge who had the time and willingness to explain things concisely and accurately. Had I met more people whose sole desire appeared to be to make snarky remarks, I sincerely doubt I'd have lasted long here or developed a proper sense of community that made me check the board regularly, if for no other reason than to help other people just starting out here or to chat to pass the time by.

 

I have no idea what time it is on your ends, but it's nearly noon for me and I think I'll be wanting lunch now, and retiring from the forum for today.

 

 

Cheers.

[Algester]

I have a 120 gsm paper that I have written with Iroshizuku good stuff... Yuu-yake but it's because IT WAS MY FIRST IRO INK might get Ama-iro and compare it to Sailor Souten... as base color no sheen... anyway

my other paper is a 80 gsm muji looseleaf well... I have to say that stuff is also good no bleedthrough no matter how wet you go and feather

I do however have a smaller muji notebook almost the same paper weight 70-80 ish... well stuff feather's on it not just normal feathering but patterned feathering it seems the ink follows the grooves of the paper the larger one is minimal but has bleedthrough

 

then there's my 30gsm recycled paper... well let's not get into that... its a testing booklet... let's not get how hard I had to write on it...

Edited July 13, 2014 by Algester